Page:Dictionary of Indian Biography.djvu/257

 the Bengali version of the Scriptures and trained native preachers : died July 3, 1859.

LAESSOE, ALBERT F. DE P. (1848–1903)

Son of Rev. C. de F. Laessoe : educated at Copenhagen : obtained a Commission in the Danish Army, 1866 : joined the French Army, 1870 : resigned Danish service, 1878 : appointed to the Indian Foreign Office, 1881 : served with the Commission for delimitation of northern boundary of Afghanistan, 1884–7 : Assistant Commissioner Merwara, 1889 : Ajmir, 1892 : Political Agent, Bhopawar, 1893–9 : Political Agent in charge for years in India of Ayub Khan of Afghanistan : C.M.G. and C.I.E., 1887 : died from a pistol accident at Copenhagen, May 18. 1903.

LAFONT, REV. EUGENE, S.J. (1837–)

Born March 26, 1837 : son of Pierre Lafont : educated at College of S. Barbara, Ghent : entered the Order of the Jesuits, 1854 : sent to Calcutta, 1865 : tutor at S. Xavier's College, Calcutta : lecturer in Experimental Science and Rector of S. Xavier's since 1871 : C.I.E. 1880 : a leading authority on Science in Bengal.

LAHA, MAHARAJA DURGA CHARAN (1882–1904)

Merchant and landowner : son of Pran Kissen Laha, of the Subarnabanik (gold merchant) caste : the family was engaged in trade. Durga Charan was educated at the old Hindu College, and became head of the firm called by his father's name, in 1853 : Fellow of the Calcutta University : first native Port Commissioner of Calcutta : Member of the Bengal Legislative Council, 1874 : of the Governor-General's Legislative Council, 1882 and 1888 : President of the British Indian Association in 1885, 1895 : Sheriff, 1882 : C.I.E., 1884 : Raja, 1887 : Maharaja, 1891 : an able man of business, both in his own trade and in his landed estates, and attained great wealth : was consulted by Government on public, especially financial, questions : was a Commissioner for the reduction of public debt in 1882 : died March 20, 1904.

LAHIRI, RAMTANU (1813–1898)

Born at Krishnagar, 1813 : educated from 1826 at the Hare School : in 1826 joined the Hindu College : in 1834 was appointed a teacher there, and continued his work at Krishnagar, Burdwan, Bally, Barasat, Rasapagla for the education of the descendants of Tippoo Sultan : to Barisal and again to Krishnagar, whence he retired on pension, 1865 : he gave up the Brahmanical thread in 1851 and became a Brahmo : he lived an exemplary life and enjoyed great respect as a teacher he died in Aug. 1898.

LAING, SAMUEL (1812–1897)

Born Dec. 12, 1812 : son of Samuel Laing educated at Houghton-le-Spring, privately, and at St. John's College, Cambridge : second wrangler in 1831 : Fellow called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn, in 1837 : Secretary to the Railway Department of the Board of Trade, 1842–6 : Member of Lord Dalhousie's Railway Commission of 1845 : Chairman and Managing Director of the L.B. and S.C Ry., 1848–55 and 1867–94 : Financial Secretary to the Treasury, 1859–60 : Finance Member of the Supreme Council in India from Jan. 1861, to July, 1862 : M.P., 1852–7, 1859, 1865–8, and 1868–85. He wrote Modern Science and Modern Thought, 1885; Problems of the Future, 1889; Human Origins, 1892 : also India and China : England's Mission in the East, 1863 : he died, Aug. 6, 1897.

LAKE, EDWARD JOHN (1823–1877)

Son of Edward Lake, Major in the Madras Engineers : who served with distinction in the Mahratta war and was author of Sieges of the Madras Army : born June 19, 1823 : educated at Wimbledon and Addiscombe : went to India in the Royal Engineers, 1841–2 : joined the Sappers and Miners at Delhi : suppressed an outbreak near Kythul : was in the Satlaj campaign of 1845–6, at Mudki and Aliwal : served under John Lawrence at Kangra and Jalandhar in 1846 : commanded the Bahawalpur troops in the operations about Multan, 1848 : in the battle of Gujarat, the pursuit of the Sikhs and Afghans, 1849 : Brevet-Major : Commissioner of Jalandhar, 1855 : held fort of Kangra throughout the mutiny : Lt-Colonel, 1861 : Financial Commissioner